Over the years, the art has provided a wide variety of structures, compositions and procedures for applying artificial nails. The known methods provide wholly preformed attachments, in situ nail formation, and combinations of preforms with in situ techniques.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,399, M. Ionescu describes an artificial nail which is built up on a flat, flexible resilient form which is mounted on the natural nail to be improved. According to the procedure, a layer of a mush of resin powder and a liquid solvent is deposited on the form while on the natural nail, the form is then removed from the nail and the solvent is evaporated. The resulting artificial nail is then attached to the natural nail with an adhesive and filed into conformity with the natural nail. While this procedure is presented as an alternative to the formation of the artificial nail directly and completely on the natural nail, it can easily be seen that this procedure is also very time consuming and requires a high degree of skill.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,058, G. Galante provides a nail lacquer composition comprising a film-forming agent, a compatible solvent, and an auxiliary resin to increase the wear resistance of the composition when dry. The auxiliary resin can be an alkyl cyanoacrylate, a styrene-acrylonitrile-acrylic terpolymer, or a mixture of these. The disclosure does not, however, provide any guidance on the attachment of artificial nails.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,848, E. L. Ferrigno discloses an artificial nail forming composition, kit and method. According to the method, a conventional artificial fingernail is first glued onto a natural nail, leaving a space between the rear end of the artificial nail and the cuticle. A thin coating of a liquid cyanoacrylate adhesive is applied to the top surface of the natural finger nail in the space between the cuticle and the artificial nail. Next, a thin layer of an acrylic ester powder is adhered and a second thin coating of the adhesive is applied. After the composite of three layers dries, it is buffed until smooth. The disclosure indicates the provision of two separate adhesive components in addition the separate package of powder. This procedure, accordingly, is time consuming and tends to be wasteful.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,160, G. D. Griggs provides a method for attaching an artificial nail using an ethyl alpha cyanoacrylate and a rayon fiber material applied over a conventional artificial nail applied with adhesive. The method requires the surface of the artificial nail and the natural nail to be buffed until they are substantially flush. Then the rayon is applied thereover and saturated with the cyanoacrylate. Following drying, the top surface is buffed. Again, this procedure is quite complicated and time consuming.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,348, C. Natakata and T. Takenaka describe a method for adhering an artificial nail to a natural one by the use of an adhesive containing at least one specific .alpha.-cyanoacrylate for the purpose of reducing the generation of heat and easy removal of the adhesion. The adhesives were subjected to a series of tests, but no improvement in the standard procedures for attaching nails but achieving a continuous top nail surface was offered.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,428, R. Weisberg and L. J. Krebaum describe a process for applying a protective acrylic coating to nails which is said to require a minimum of skills. The disclosed process, however, includes six steps the key feature of which seems to be the application of first a layer of a slow-curing cyanoacrylate glue, then a powdered polymethylacrylate, and an overcoat of a blend of acrylate monomers which must be cured. This procedure, because it employs at least three applications of separate materials, is not as simple as would be desired.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,765, D. E. Cooper and D. A. Cooper describe the attachment of a composite of a cyanoacrylate compound and graphite fibers to a natural nail as either a nail extender or coating. The procedure calls for spraying an accelerator onto the nail following application of the above compound. The use of carbon fibers and the cyanoacrylate mix to extend nails requires the use of a template properly positioned and carefully removed at the right time. The added complication of spraying the accelerator takes time and creates the possibility of inconsistent results.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,102, W. G. Repensek and R. Blomquist describe a procedure which entails the application of an artificial nail in three steps. First, a conventional artificial nail tip is cemented to the natural nail with the aid of a suitable, but not critical, adhesive which can be a cyanoacrylate or other adhesive. Then, the whole surface (including the top of both the artificial and exposed natural nail surface) is coated with a viscous cyanoacrylate adhesive. After application of the viscous mixture, it is necessary to apply a solvent mixture to spread it smoothly. Also, the solvent contains a polymerization initiator to speed the curing process. It would be desirable to have a procedure and composition which did not require such specialized components and steps.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,011, Schoon discloses that cyanoacrylate resins can be cured more rapidly by contacting them with an organotin compound. In the context of artificial nail attachment, the nails are formed in situ by covering a nail surface with a layer of fabric and then applying a layer of a cyanoacrylate adhesive. After the surface has become stabilized, the organotin compound is then applied, such as by brushing or spraying. It would be desirable to provide a procedure which did not require the use of fabric or the subsequent application of an organotin or other composition which adds to the complexity and time involved.
In view of the state of the art which is represented not only by the above patents, but by countless other procedures and compositions, there remains a present need for a composition and process for rapidly and simply securing an artificial nail to a natural one and then finishing the surface to provide a natural-appearing and attractive nail.